Derek’s work is massively influenced by North The musical comparison stirred Derek into
Wales and Cumbria and he explains: revealing that he was a Drummer in a punk
‘The Welsh - Cumbrian influence comes band in the late seventies called Radio
from my wife’s parents having a cottage in Appears.
Anglesey, we spent most of my spare time in
North Wales. Mentioning the simplicity of his work also got
Derek to explains, ‘I have a way of working
which is a
Welsh countryside and Kyffin Williams influence most of my
simplification
painting work. I got to know his work and him personally
process. I look
and started painting and exhibiting in Wales, I had works
at terms of the
displayed at the Royal Cambrian Academy of Arts in 2001,
structure in terms
of the lines and
and it was then that I thought that just maybe I can paint.
hedges, and my
simplification
When did you sell your first Painting? process is to emphasis the lines’.
‘I sold my first painting in Penrith in 1988 but
think it was to a girlfriend’s mother so not sure About his work and inspiration Derek explains:
whether that counts.’ ‘When I first came back to Cumbria a lot
of people looked at my work and made
comparisons to Percy Kelly.
I was new to the Cumbrian scene and what
I discovered through Conrad Atkinson whom
I was at college with in Carlisle in the sixties
and was actually taught by Colin Allen.
Collin Allen also taught Percy Kelly, the link
is that Kyffin Williams was the person that
taught Colin Allen, and ‘I learned all I knew
from Kyffin, so it’s not surprising that people
compared my work to Percy Kelly.’
‘People don’t make as many comparisons
now but when they do compare our Paintings
I love it’.
I told Derek that what I really liked about his Derek is a renowned Landscape artist and
work was the fact that it was honest and was this comes from the love of outdoors.
not taking people for a ride. ‘Looking out of the door at an aeroplane
Being a songwriter, the best songs are the or whilst hiking up a mountain when you
most simple and his Paintings are like that, are looking down that is where I find a lot of
inspirational, simple and engaging, using inspiration’.
music as a parallel some music is classical
and complicated sometimes and some music ‘My journey into art finally ground itself to a
is simple and easy to listen to Derek is the halt when training for the Bob Graham Round
equivalent of Bob Dylan. which starts in Keswick and you then run all
32 info@thewestcumbriaguide.co.uk
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